I have a confession to make: I don’t like fishing with bait anymore. If I’m honest, I have been an avid lure angler for at least the last 15 years – I love nothing more than casting softbaits in the shallows and hooking up on big fish using a light softbaiting rod and reel combo that is designed to be cast all day.
It is so much more fun fighting fish, and with no bait and berley to clean up in the boat, it is far less messy – and cheaper too with the price of bait and berley currently at an all-time high.
Lure fishing, obviously, requires a lot of casting from a good platform, and that is why I have become an admirer of centre-console boats and the fishing capabilities they provide. Often considered a ‘nice-to-have boat’ by many anglers, historically centre- and side-console designs were sometimes dismissed out of hand by Kiwi boaties, most of whom preferred hardtop trailer boats that kept them warm and dry when poor sea conditions or bad weather set in.
I understand this reasoning, but the real appeal and the many advantages of fishing from console boats has decisively changed boat buyer decision-making in this country and driven an explosion in the number of centre- and side-console models available on the local market.
New Zealand boat builders are continuing to design and develop new centre-console models for this incredibly competitive market, with most manufacturers having at least one centre- or side-console model in their lineup, often in the smaller 4-5m range. And with an ever-growing demand for bigger boats of this type, available models now also include console boats 5 to 6.5m in length and bigger, these aimed at anglers looking to go further offshore.
New hull design
One such boat builder is Pauanui-based Oceanpro, which originally launched with a 4.5m centre-console and later released the 4.6m EVO model, which impressed me. A couple of years ago, Mike Bush, the founder and head designer for Oceanpro, informed me that he had a new design for a bigger 535 centre-console (535CC), which would be a significant step up for the Oceanpro console range.
Mike also builds aluminium cuddy and hardtop models between 5m and 6.2m, but he wanted a new console model with even more internal space and a deck area nearly 50% larger than the previous 460 EVO. The new model provides a truly expansive fishing platform.
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The extra deck space, coupled with a new hull with a 55-degree entry borrowed from Oceanpro’s popular 530 hardtop, gives more internal beam – easily enough to accommodate three to four anglers fishing at once. The 535CC also retains Oceanpro’s signature sheerline and also utilises the company’s new, tapered pontoon design. Bush has redesigned these pontoons, which elevate the hull plates at the bow for better handling in rough sea conditions while also boosting reserve buoyancy compared to his earlier design.
Mike built the first 535 as a company demonstrator to take to boat shows and for dealers to profile a couple of years ago. That boat was displayed at the Boat, Fish and Dive Show held in the Waikato, which is where I got to see the new boat for myself – and it really looked stunning, attracting many admirers who wanted to know all about it. Many commented that it was one of the best-looking and well-decked-out console models at the show.
Fuel & Performance Data
Oceanpro 535. Honda BF90. Prop – Honda HD3 13.25×17 SS
Fuel capacity: 75 litres
| RPM | Knots | L/h | L/NM | Range (NM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 650 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.360 | 180 |
| 1000 | 3 | 1.8 | 0.600 | 110 |
| 1500 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 0.490 | 130 |
| 2000 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 0.840 | 80 |
| 2500 | 7.9 | 6.9 | 0.880 | 76 |
| 3000 | 11 | 7.8 | 0.710 | 95 |
| 3500 | 15.9 | 9.3 | 0.590 | 110 |
| 4000 | 20.3 | 14.4 | 0.710 | 95 |
| 4500 | 24.3 | 17.7 | 0.730 | 92 |
| 5000 | 28.9 | 22.5 | 0.780 | 86 |
| 5500 | 32.1 | 28.2 | 0.880 | 76 |
| 6050 | 35.5 | 36.9 | 1.100 | 61 |
Highlighted rows show cruising (4500rpm) and top-speed calm-water (5500rpm) test figures.
Real life test
I was eager to take the 535CC out on the water for a sea test and some real fishing, so in late spring I took it away to the Far North for a few days. We were based at Rangiputa, but unfortunately I got in only one and a half days of fishing, as the wind was gusting 30 knots at times and we couldn’t get out to the better spots. The usually dependable harbour fishing was also surprisingly slow, so as far as the fishing went it was one of our toughest trips ever to Rangiputa.
However, the new 535 impressed in the challenging conditions, and the anglers on board gave glowing endorsements about the dry hull, stability at rest, good sea handling, and ample fishing space, both up front and back in the cockpit. The larger more spacious cockpit was one of the key differences I also noticed compared to the smaller EVO 460 model.
While the 535 isn’t even a metre longer than the 460, the internal space provided by Mike’s innovative design gives enough fishing room to easily accommodate three adult anglers and a junior. Fishing with three anglers in the 460 was a bit tight at times, although it was fine for two adults or an adult with two kids. The 535CC simply provides more cockpit and casting platform space for a skipper who wants to head out on the water to enjoy some fishing with a couple of mates.
The 535CC is suited for outboards in the 75hp to 100hp range. The demo boat was fitted with the Honda 90hp. This four-stroke engine is a good option, providing a respectable cruising speed of 24.3 knots at 4500rpm and burning just 17.7 litres per hour. During further testing in calm conditions, the boat reached 32.1 knots at 5500rpm, but fuel consumption jumped to 28.2 litres per hour. The steering was, however, a little heavy when performing tight turns at speed – the boat had cable steering, but hydraulic steering is an option I would recommend.
Bluewater plans
Keeping in touch with Mike over summer, I made plans to get back on the water in the 535, and with so many yellowfin around, I organised to go trolling out wide with Mike off the Coromandel in January 2025. Mike contacted me in the middle of the month to say a mate had landed a nice 40kg-plus tuna in only 70m of water north of Tairua. I didn’t hesitate and quickly packed up the game fishing gear and turned up in Pauanui early the next morning to launch the 535CC with Mike.
As we navigated out of the shallow harbour and headed over the Tairua bar, Mike confessed he hadn’t actually caught a fish in the boat yet. Over the summer break he had, of course, been out cruising with the family, but had been too busy at work to get back out fishing on one of those calmer days we saw after the wind finally died down.
We started trolling under a cloudless sky, and the day quickly became hot, so I was happy for the shade provided by the 535’s T-top. It certainly helped to block the harsh Kiwi sun, which is very welcome during a full day of game fishing.
With super-calm conditions and water temperature going over 22 degrees, and plenty of other boats reporting hookups on the VHF channel before midday, we were hopeful of a strike. We went over a deep pin in 78m of water north of the Alderman Islands when the lumo lure got hit hard. Line was leaving the reel fast as we cleared the gear before I grabbed the 24kg rod to begin playing the fish. I told Mike it must be a big tuna since it was taking a lot of line, but unfortunately, a minute later, the hook pulled.
Upon checking the brand-new leader, it showed telltale bill-rash marks from a marlin strike! We almost had a marlin on Mike’s first fishing trip in the 535 and the excitement of the strike set us off laughing and joking.
We continued trolling for the rest of the day, and although we saw feeding pilot whales and jumping yellowfin in front of the boat, nothing else hit our lures. All the same, the conditions were stunning out on the water and the boat-motor combo didn’t disappoint. The Honda 90hp used only six litres per hour when trolling and we used just 53 litres of petrol for the 116km we trolled over the course of the day, which is excellent fuel economy for a day on the water chasing game fish. So, with no tuna in the boat for our efforts, only a story of the one that got away, we headed back in to enjoy a cold ale.
Well priced sportsfisher
Overall, the new Oceanpro 535 centre console impressed as a top example of a pontoon-style boat, providing excellent stability at rest, handling well, and offering exceptional fishing space up front from the casting platform, and also in the cockpit. The Oceanpro has an impressively soft ride in poor sea conditions and is dry, too, for an open boat. It’s a good match with the Honda 90hp, which ensures there’s plenty of power on hand when needed and good fuel economy for everyday boating. This model would definitely appeal to the serious fisher who wants to explore further offshore.
The price of this demo boat as tested, fitted with T-top, U-DEK, a painted hull with vinyl decals, a Honda 90hp and riding on a DMW single-axle trailer was $82,000 (plus electronics) as tested (2025). The base model without the T-top or a painted hull/vinyl decals, and with a Honda 75hp starts somewhere in the mid-fifties.
Specifications — Oceanpro 535CC
LOA: 5.42m
Beam (external): 2.15m
Beam (internal): 1.53m
Deadrise: 17° at transom
Construction: 4mm hull and frames, 3mm topsides & superstructure
Buoyancy: 1310 litre reserve buoyancy
Hull weight (with outboard and fuel): 720kg
Engine: Honda BF90hp
Power range: 70-100hp
Manufactured by: Oceanpro Boats — www.oceanpro.co.nz
Highlights
- A truly expansive fishing platform in a modest-sized package
- Impressively soft ride and dry, too, for an open boat
- Performs well with modest power
- Built and finished to a high standard
